Carphone Warehouse, with Best Buy Europe, is one of the first major retailers to integrate Simply Tap into its customer experience with shoppers able to buy directly from Carphone Warehouse advertising, direct marketing, website and buyer’s guide.
Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy Europe are joined in this launch phase by Thorntons, Goldsmiths, thehut.com, Pretty Green and moreTvicar.com. Together with its first set of retail partners, MMN expects to benefit from learning about how real customers will change the way they shop using their mobile. Further major retail partners that MMN is already engaged with will be announced over the coming weeks and months.
To celebrate the launch, The Mobile Money Network is offering Simply Tap users £10 cash back on their first purchase of a range of products from its retail partners. The launch is being supported by a seven figure marketing campaign that will span social and digital channels with nationwide marketing support from Carphone Warehouse. In addition, from day one, shoppers registering with Simply Tap will get access to a range of unique offers accessed via the in-app marketing.
Simply Tap is a new innovation that only requires a customer to go through a one-off registration process to securely capture information such as preferred card details and delivery address. Customers can then use the Simply Tap service on their mobile phones to order products they see anywhere by tapping a code into their mobile phone, saving them time and allowing retailers to maximise sales.
Simply Tap is built on the Monitise payments platform used by major banks and payment card businesses.
“This initial launch phase is all about gathering as much intelligence as possible,” says John Milliken, Managing Director of The Mobile Money Network. “We expect to learn an enormous amount about how consumers want to use their mobiles to shop. We are already developing the second version of the app where you can expect to see image recognition as a major feature.”
Andrew Harrison, CEO of Best Buy Europe and Carphone Warehouse comments: “Simply Tap will provide retailers with compelling new options when it comes to marketing and selling products. For our customers, it has to be all about convenience. Customers want to be able to pay for goods via any device and on any network. Today is evidence of a shared vision amongst UK retailers and we look forward to our staff and partners being the first in the world to use this genuinely unique service.”
Kathryn Middleton, Head of Brand & Customer Communications at Thorntons explains: "Thorntons is a true multi-channel retailer with 600 stores and franchises, a strong direct business through Thorntons.co.uk, and a thriving commercial business, supplying the major supermarkets. This partnership with The Mobile Money Network expands Thorntons presence in the growing mobile channel, which is a critical part of any retailer's future. Simply Tap is going to make Christmas shopping on the move incredibly easy, so customers can buy their Thorntons chocolates wherever they are."
Nigel Grant, Brand Director of Pretty Green says: “Pretty Green isn’t your average fashion brand and it is our priority to be at the forefront of retail developments. We know our customers and understand they want to shop as easily as possible; using Simply Tap will make the experience quicker, easier and more efficient for them. Being able to browse for the clothes you want, order them for whenever you want, and have them delivered directly to your door, all through your mobile phone is ideal for all of our customers."
Sir Stuart Rose, Non-Executive Chairman of the Mobile Money Network comments: “For a growing number of retailers, we are cutting through all of the complexity of mobile commerce by offering a common platform that addresses real retailer and consumer needs today. At our launch event in March we asked the retailers in attendance to work together to give consumers a new way to buy the products and services they need and want. Today marks the first step on the journey to realising our vision and it is fantastic to have so many retail brands coming together to make this a reality for shoppers.”
Nick Holland, Senior Analyst at Yankee Group comments: “Mobile payments are about far more than a financial transaction and this service will enable retailers to capitalise on the fusion of physical and virtual worlds using mobile technology as a conduit. Happier customers and increased revenues – what’s not to like?”
The first retailers launch Simply Tap this week.